Federal grant programs / Environmental Protection Agency

Response to Emergency Situations Affecting Public Water Systems (SDWA 1442(b)) (66.489)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$149 million
• Grant awards2
• Typical award$74.3 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$0
• Size rank691 of 1824
• Type of assistanceGrant

Key findings

• It is the 691st largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• Awards went to recipients in 1 states and territories.

What the program funds

To assist in responding to and alleviating emergency situations affecting public water systems. Pursuant to Section 1442(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), this assistance program provides grant funding for projects and activities in emergency situations affecting public water systems that are necessary for preventing, limiting, or mitigating a substantial danger to public health and that would not be taken without this emergency assistance. Eligible applicants include States or publicly owned water systems where the Administrator has made an Emergency Determination under SDWA section 1442(b). Funding is anticipated to be for projects and activities that support SDWA compliance, including: (1) operations and maintenance of facilities; (2) building technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) capacity; (3) debt relief; (4) meeting the requirements of federal enforcement actions, including emergency administrative orders; (5) establishing alternative sources of drinking water and/or; (6) making capital and managerial improvements, including planning, design and construction, as necessary, to return facilities to conditions in which publicly owned water systems can feasibly sustain their operations. In FY 2025 funding priorities will continue to be for projects and activities in emergency situations affecting public water systems that are necessary for preventing, limiting, or mitigating a substantial danger to public health.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Assistance under this program is available to States and publicly owned Public Water Systems when EPA has made an Emergency Determination under SDWA Section 1442(b). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Public Law 117-328, https://usepa.sharepoint.com/sites/TCCAB/Shared Documents/General/SDWA 1442b/Assistance Listing/OW - 66.489 Response to Emergency Situations Affecting Public Water Systems.finalclean.docx?, appropriates disaster supplemental funding for technical assistance and grants under section 1442(b) of the SDWA ((42 U.S.C. 300j–1(b)), in areas where the President declared an emergency in August of fiscal year 2022 pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 5121 et seq.). The President’s emergency declaration dated August 30, 2022, applies to Hinds County, Mississippi, but was necessitated by the water crisis impacting the City of Jackson’s public water systems. Therefore, the City of Jackson’s public water systems (PWS ID No. MS0250008 and PWS ID No. MS0250012) are the nation’s only public water systems eligible for these funds. The American Relief Act, 2025, Public Law 118-158, appropriates disaster supplemental funding for necessary expenses to address water emergencies under section 1442(b) of the SDWA (42 U.S.C. 300j–1(b)) in States or territories in EPA Regions 3 and 4 impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

What the money can and cannot pay for

Funds are provided to eligible applicants to respond to and alleviate emergency situations affecting public water systems as authorized by Section 1442(b) of the SDWA. This assistance program provides grant funding for projects and activities in emergency situations that are necessary for preventing, limiting, or mitigating a substantial danger to public health and that would not be taken without this emergency assistance. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA. This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis. A discretionary award means an award in which the Federal awarding agency, in keeping with specific statutory authority that enables the agency to exercise judgement (“discretion”), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on merit of proposals. A discretionary award may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Range: $2,170,000 - $44,000,000; Average $21,200,000/fiscal year.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: Funding supports projects to assist water systems affected by emergency situations to stabilize and support the system in complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act, conduct assessments, perform operations and maintenance and enter into contracts.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Businesses received 98% of the money.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.